I'm Glad
by Agent H.E.R.O
Summary: What happens when Snape comes back from a death eater meeting severely injured and must stay at Grimmauld place? Sirius has to take care of him of course! No slash, just a friendly Snape and Sirius friendship fic, because there aren't enough of them out there. Read and review please
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Takes place during the summer before Order of the Phoenix-during which time a house arrested Sirius has to babysit an injured Snape. This will probably have three chapters and likely be finished by next week. Thanks for reading! I don't own Harry Potter. *Hamlet (by Shakespeare) is referenced, specifically Act 3, scene I, 58-59 and 66-67.

Snape and Sirius Get Physical

It didn't hurt at first. Nothing ever really hurt at first. It was the afterward that was painful. After staying up all night to finish a potion, after telling the Dark Lord the prophecy, after going to a particular painful death eater meeting; after was the hard part. He clutched his abdomen, his fingers coming away slightly bloody, but not enough to notice against his dark clothing. His other hand touched his wand, sitting comfortably in his back pocket. He rasped twice on Grimmauld door and said a small spell. The door creaked open to reveal a rather loud discussion reverberating from the kitchen. He walked with measured steps, trying to calm the spasms in his legs. His left eyebrow quirked upward as he took in the scene before him. Molly was just serving dinner as Mad Eye and Dumbledore were arguing, put more correctly, Mad Eye was arguing, Dumbledore sat in the chair and would say two words before something set the other man off again. Sirius, Remus, and Tonks were talking across the table as Molly and Arthur shot worried glances at each other across the table. Molly noticed Snape first, her chair right across from the doorframe.

"Ah Severus! Why don't you join us for dinner before the meeting starts?"

He lowered his chin and pulled his robes closer as if there was a draft.

"The meeting was supposed to have started already,"

Molly guided him over to the seat next to her and shoved a bowl of soup in front of him before he could protest.

"Oh yes, well, Alastor seemed to disagree with Dumbledore on a topic and decided to voice his opinions,"

Snape raised a hand to his pounding head. Voldemort infiltrated his mind no less than thirty minutes ago at the Death Eater meeting.

"Rather loudly at that too. I'm sorry Molly, but there are other things I must tend to,"

_ Like my bleeding stomach,_

he thought quietly. He made to stand up before his vision slanted dangerously. He slammed his hands on the table to stop himself from fainting. His eyes scrunched closed trying to stop the dancing room. He felt Molly's soft hand on his right shoulder.

"Severus?"

His breathing became more labored, he kept his eyes shut. Tremors raced through his arms. His shoulders hunched from the after effects of the cruciatus. His stomach rubbed against the table, irritating it further. The shouts from Alastor ceased, the conversation between Remus, Tonks, and Sirius stopped. He cracked his left eye open through the haze of pain. Everyone was looking at him.

"My dear boy, are you all right?"

Albus was talking to him. He glanced down at his abdomen, noticing the small, but growing bloodstain on the table. The soup's smell did nothing to help his nausea. Finally, he lost it. His legs trembled and gave out. Blackness consumed him, but only for a minute. He was vaguely aware of the chaos going around him. Someone caught him, probably Remus, who was sitting on the other side of him. He lowered Snape to the floor gently, something the bruised man was more than grateful for.

"Is that blood?"

"He keeps twitching, does anyone have a calming draught?"

Another minute and he could feel the smooth edge of a vial against his lips. He swallowed the liquid quickly, before spluttering and opening his eyes again. Molly was anxiously peering over him with the back of her hand on his forehead. Remus was holding his shoulders down, the shudders slowing down from the effects of the potion. Snape's head rested in Remus's lap as well. The muggle cloth made for a better pillow than the cold floor. The headmaster was kneeling on his other side. The old man's hands probed his stomach wound. He grunted as the other man pressed down.

"Is there anything from the last meeting I should know?"

Snape whispered a few words before Dumbledore leaned in closer.

"There will be a…raid,"

He closed his eyes against another spasm of pain,

"Thursday night, Nurmengard,"

His limbs continued twitching as his vision grew fuzzy and his eyes shut.

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Snape didn't usually have good dreams, but tonight was different. To-night he dreamt of Lily and her beautiful green eyes as green as the grass they used to lie in when they were children. They both sat in chairs facing each other. She looked upon him kindly, the surrounding background white.

"I don't want to wake up,"

She took his hands in her lap, "*to sleep perchance to dream,"

Snape swallowed, his hands felt so warm entwined with hers.

"*Ay there's the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams may come,"

He breathed in her lavender scent, he knew Hamlet too well.

"I am to go back then, to protect your son?"

"*tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,"

He knew the rest of the lines well, including the later part about ending life rather than fighting, and suffering through everyday's misfortune. But curiously enough, she didn't recite the rest. Just kept it at those few lines. The answer came to him, that Lily thought it was, or this dream Lily thought it was better to fight that's why she didn't mention the second part of the line. She squeezed his hands once more before the light overpowered him.

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He could feel his senses slowly reawakening. The pain receptors in his stomach seemed to be working the best. He cracked his eyes open to the surprisingly dark room. He lifted a hand to push the sheets back but realized with displeasure that the hand was slightly shaking. The meetings were taking their toll on him. The tremors had mostly stopped, except for his shaking hands. The cotton sheets brushed against his bare chest. That's when he saw his neatly and tightly wrapped midsection. Dark red stained through the white cloth. He heard the door open, chilly air came in. To his surprise it was Sirius.

"Finally awake Snivellus?"

The tone of Sirius's voice was off. The man might've said the name to offend him, but there was no usual hatred or power behind it. Sirius sat down on the chair beside the bed, putting the healing liquid on the bedside table with white gauze. Snape's brain was still heavy with fog and he felt so cold! A shiver rain down the length of his spine, which brought out another small-scale tremor. After a minute, during which time Sirius unfolded a towel and dipped it in the potion, leaving it to soak for a minute as he watched the Potion's master seize. After another minute, Snape laid on the bed, exhausted, his muscles too sore to move. Sirius pulled down the covers, exposing the abdomen.

"Don't you dare,"

Snape hissed out, his voice sounded raw, his throat hurt badly. Sirius laughed, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Or what, you'll have another seizure? Besides, I'm in charge of making sure you don't have another near death experience,"

Snape closed his eyes as Sirius touched the bandage. He suppressed a groan as the man unwound the dressing. Sirius looked at the exposed wound before glancing at the raven-haired man. He was breathing heavy again, beads of sweat ran down his face, his face couldn't be more pale. Snape puked, or would have if he had anything in his stomach. Instead he dry heaved, bringing up bile and blood. The wound had not healed well, that much was obvious. Yellow pus leaked out of the corner, and the skin around looked red and swollen.

"What do you mean **another** near death experience?"

Snape panted as he leaned back against the pillows. Sirius rolled his eyes thinking back to last night.

"After you fainted, you had a grand mal seizure. Nearly hit Remus in the face. We couldn't wake you afterward,"

He took a second to let the other man take it in.

"Your stomach looked really bad. We would've sent you to St. Mungo's but they would start asking questions because of the severity,"

Snape nodded as he glanced around the old room. Sirius picked up the cloth and with a surprising gentleness cleansed the wound. Snape grimaced as the cloth covered the entire gash. Once he removed it, he shot a fleeting glance to the fireplace. Snape's head was once again throbbing as he blinked his eyes tiredly again. He didn't want to fall asleep but he really didn't have much control over his body at this point. He turned his head into the fluffy pillow, watching as Black fire called the headmaster. He caught snippets of the conversation.

"insane-infected-vomiting blood-the greasy git,"

Without much of a fight, Snape slipped off to sleep again.

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*Hamlet (by Shakespeare) is referenced, specifically Act 3, scene I, 58-59 and 66-67.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: This chapter is a little less intense than the first one. This story is not slash, despite the title. Thanks for the reviews and follows, keep reading and reviewing! There will either be one or two more chapters.

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Sirius was carefully wrapping the wound when Snape woke up.

"Ironic isn't it? I would've never imagined you helping me,"

Sirius tied the bandage a little tighter causing Snape to gasp.

"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for James and Lily, for Harry. If we had more spies in Voldemort's inner circle, you'd be dead or in Azkaban."

The raven-haired man pushed away Sirius's hands, and sat up dizzily.

"I can finish from here,"

Snape ground out through clenched teeth. But Sirius was mad and pulled the bandage till there was little room in between layers. Snape's fingers pulled at his frantically. He was angry that he was stuck playing nurse to this greasy git. He would rather be alone.

"Try not to hurt yourself further Snivellus,"

He slammed the door, continuing across the hall. Seeing Snape injured made him think about his own place in the order. He hated that he couldn't do anything. He hated how he couldn't see Harry, or even step outside of the house. Dumbledore reassured him that he played a crucial role and sooner or later Harry would be brought here but until that time Sirius's job was to stay in Grimmauld. He thumped down on the couch, trying, and failing to focus on a book. He should've been the Potter's secret keeper but instead they had trusted that filthy rat. And now the Order had to trust Snape who was just as bad. The potion's master would turn against the order eventually; that he was sure of. In fact, quite a few of the members were unsure of Snape's loyalty to the order. True, he did provide crucial information sometimes, but other times, he seemed to hinder the Order, as if no one played as big as role as he did. And Dumbledore would say a few things, vouching for Snape, trusting him, even caring for him, like last night. He looked across the room to find the teacher looking paler than ever, one hand holding onto the wall for support, the other wrapped protectively around his stomach. Sirius watched for a second before remembering Dumbledore's orders to take care of him. With a sigh he walked towards the slow moving man.

"What are you trying to do?"

Snape's gaze didn't waiver from the bathroom door. Sirius went to put a hand around his waist when Snape pulled away sharply, almost tripping himself in the process.

"I don't need your help Black. Leave me alone,"

Sirius leaned against the wall with one shoulder, watching as Snape nearly toppled over. The other man's back hunched over, his hands on his knees. If he didn't want help then Sirius wouldn't help him.

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Snape was tired of having that stupid Marauder take care of him. He didn't need the mangy mutt to wrap his wound, he could do it himself, if he was conscious. But that bathroom door just didn't seem to get any closer. And then a new pain burst from his stomach. He nearly fell over, his hands clutching his knees as he doubled over. He could feel Black's eyes boring into his back, just waiting for him to ask, just waiting to prove Snape wrong. Why couldn't someone else help him? He tried straightening up but could barely manage to lift his chest. His lips formed a tight, thin line, determined to keep going, one step at a time.

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Sirius cringed as Snape took another step, his back still hunched over. Why did the greasy git have to be so stubborn? Well if he wasn't going to ask for help, Sirius wasn't going to give it. He nodded to himself. Sooner or later Snivellus would come crawling back to him, begging him for help. Snape took a faltering step before he started to crumble to the floor. Dumbledore's orders rang out in the back of his head as he ran for Snape, catching him around the waist before he fell into a crumpled heap on the rug. The man was surprisingly light. Snape was still glaring at him, trying weakly to push himself off of the other man.

"Come on,"

Sirius half carried, half dragged Snape across the hallway. He wasn't exactly worried that Snape didn't fight him, no, worried wasn't the word he would use for it. He wasn't worried either that Snape's forehead nearly burned a hole in his shoulder. The sight of more blood appearing on the white gauze he had changed half an hour ago did worry him. Snape clutched the bathroom door.

"Do you-?"

His question was cut off by the pointed stare and the quiet latch of the door being closed.

He leaned against the wallpaper, listening for any sounds of Snape fainting. Thankfully none came and Snape opened the door a minute later. His arm bound around the wound. Snape then did something very strange. Very strange indeed. He reached out for Sirius. He physically stuck his hand out to grab hold of Sirius's arm. Only one word escaped his lips,

"Please,"

Turning his head the other way, Sirius guided him back to the room, stopping periodically to let Snape rest against the wall. Snape leaned back in the bed, shivering slightly. Sirius grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and threw it on the bed, noticing Snape's glassy eyes, failing to focus.

"What's wrong Snivellus? Can't unfold a blanket?"

Snape's hands were trembling again, struggling to pull the blanket towards him. Sirius batted the other man's hands away before distributing the blanket over the bed evenly.

"Pathetic aren't I? Even back in our school days, I was pathetic,"

"Yeah well you are a Slytherin,"

Snape's throaty laugh ripped through the air.

"Oh, and what's that supposed to me? Does it mean I don't have feelings, or that I don't bleed, because I can assure you that I do, or have been for the last twenty four hours,"

Snape closed his eyes, as if the retort had taken everything out of him. Sirius sat on the chair next to the bed.

"Don't you fall asleep again. A certain Hogwarts nurse gave me strict orders to keep you awake."

Snape let out an exasperated groan. He lifted his left arm off the sheets. Sirius and Snape exchanged a look of terror. The dark mark burned black against the pallid skin.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Okay, one more chapter after this! Please read and review.

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He had barely managed to apparate. His head swam as he appeared before the dark lord. No one else was there.

"Ssseverusss, you are late,"

Snape breathed heavily, kneeling out of weakness.

"My Lord, I had other issues...to attend to"

Voldemort stepped down from his throne. There was little light in the room, all Snape could see was Voldemort's pale face looking down at him.

"You are unwell,"

It was a simple statement to define such pain, such agony Snape was in.

"My injuries have not healed sufficiently yet,"

Voldemort knelt next to Snape, pressing a hand to his shoulder and pushing him onto the floor. The man cried out as his wound reopened. He could see through blurry vision Voldemort's grin.

"Your abdomen, it is infected,"

Snape could feel the sweat running down his forehead, whether from pain or fear he didn't know. The dark lord pressed a white finger to his wound drawing blood. Then to the teacher's horror, he licked it with his snake like tongue.

"My dear Severusss,"

He groaned as the dark lord lifted his body in his hands, holding the man against his chest. He tried not to be sick but the only person who ever held him like that was his mother. And Voldemort, of all people, so close to him. It made his stomach turn violently. He swallowed back bile, but Voldemort seemed to recognize the problem as he rolled the man onto his side. Snape felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. Voldemort's hand lay upon his fevered brow.

"To die so young,"

The dark lord whispered into his ear. He found himself gazing into the shark like face of his master. Voldemort withdrew his hand and pulled out a vial from his robes. He smiled cruelly then, his teeth showing almost as of he was going to devour the teacher.

"I could send you to St. Mungo's, they might be able to save you,"

He tossed the vial up in the air and caught it.

"But you deserve to die. I know you want it. This death, this is your reward for service,"

He tucked the vial in Snape's robes. His bony hand resting against Snape's ribs for a second.

"Don't fight it, let it claim you. **I** want your death,"

Voldemort cradled the man in his arms for a moment.

"Take this potion as you feel yourself draw your final breath,"

Snape blinked tiredly. Death was something he welcomed. Dumbledore wouldn't be happy about it though. Wouldn't be happy to lose his spy. Suddenly he was levitating and watched as the dark lord grew smaller in the distance. He glanced up to see Lucius in front, carefully levitating his friend.

"Oh Severus,"

He coughed blood.

"Luc-ius,"

His friend frowned at the blood.

"I've been instructed to take you wherever you wish to go,"

Snape whispered his childhood home and within another minute he was in Spinner's End. Lucius knelt by the couch he laid on.

"Please, let me die alone,"

The other man's eyes grew uncharacteristically watery.

"I've known you since you were a scrawny first year. And now,"

He couldn't continue the sentence. He tore his gaze away from Snape whose breaths were becoming shallower.

"Lucius,"

The blond reached out a hand to stroke Snape's cheek. He stood up, cane in one hand.

"Goodbye dear friend,"

Snape managed to nod as Malfoy left. Sirius would be wondering where he was. With a stifled moan, he apparated to Grimmauld.

It had been a little over an hour before he heard a thud outside the front door. Snape lay in a curled mass on his doorstep. With growing alarm he hefted Snape up, and inside to the nearest couch.

"I'm dying Black,"

Said man was busy getting the towel and washbowl.

"Don't be so dramatic Snivellus,"

He coughed up blood, Sirius looked up in alarm.

"I wish it was theatrics,"

Sirius undid the binding around the stomach, cringing at the messy infection. He fire called Albus, leaving him a message to come ASAP.

"We can take you to St. Mungo's,"

Snape wrapped his hand around Sirius's wrist.

"The Dark Lord wants my death. We can not prevent it,"

Sirius cleansed the wound as Snape stifled a groan.

"What if Dumbledore was to find you in Hogwarts and send you to the hospital?"

Snape laughed, "And what would happen when I was summoned again?"

Sirius wouldn't meet his gaze. Snape's fingers clenched at the seat cushions.

"He would torture me Black, perhaps even invade my mind, and this time it might work. My shields..."

He took a deep breath as the other man pinched the bandage into place.

"Why would you care anyways? You've always hated me,"

Sirius stood up, the bowl of cleansing potion red. He washed his hands off with a clean towel, fed up with Snape's attitude. If he wanted to die, so be it.

"You made me hate you! The way you'd hang out with those death eaters, the way you were always hexing us and pointed your big nose where it had no business,"

He turned around then, walking towards the bathroom sink. He heard the couch cushions groan under Snape's weight.

"That night in the shrieking shack, you tried to kill me!"

Sirius whipped around, his wand pointing at Snape.

"I wouldn't commit murder for you,"

Snape stood up slowly, one hand clutching onto the couch, the other hand holding his wand. A cruel smirk played on his face.

"No, everyone thinks you murdered Lily and James,"

That's when Sirius lost it. He barreled into Snape, knocking the man to the wood floor. He heard a crack from under him but ignored it. He punched the raven-haired man across the face, breathing heavily, trying to regain his control. Snape cried out under him. Sirius rolled off of Snape shakily. His mouth hung open as Snape lay on the floor, limbs twitching from the injuries.

Oh shit, he had just attacked a dying man. A new purple stain was growing under Snape's skin. Said man let out a breathy groan. He wasn't going to apologize not after what Snape said. To his surprise jut the opposite happened.

"Sirius...I'm sorry,"

Snape reached a shaking hand inside his robes to pull out the vial. The Marauder didn't say anything, he merely watched as Snape's trembling hands tried to bring the potion to his lips, but failed. With growing anxiety he snatched the potion and administered it to Snape. Dumbledore came through the door then, his voice calling out in the hallway. Snape closed his eyes and reopened them briefly, gazing up at the other man.

"The past,"

He lifted a hand to touch Sirius's shoulder.

"Is over,"

Albus raced into the room taking in the scene before him. Sirius trembled under Snape's touch. Snape's audible breaths were coming quicker. Sirius took the hand, still clinging to his sleeve and placed it next to Snape. Albus moved toward his spy, kneeling over him and feeling for a pulse. Black eyes met blue for a second.

"Albus,"

"Shhh, I am here my child,"

The gentle throb of his pulse got slower. Snape's features relaxed as Dumbledore fingered through his hair. And then Snape's eyes became unfocused and glassy and the panting stopped. The old man waived his hand over Snape's eyes, closing them for one final time.

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Author's Note: There will be one last chapter after this, so continue to watch. Thanks!


	4. Final

Sirius stared up at Dumbledore over the dead man.

"He can't be dead,"

Albus sighed sadly, his hands resting on Severus's shoulders.

"He took something, a little while ago, a potion,"

Dumbledore's eyebrows quirked upwards. He took the small vial Sirius had been holding. A small smile graced his lips as he sniffed the fain scent left from the bottle.

"Let's move him upstairs, he'll be waking up shortly"

Sirius visibly recoiled, his hands on his hips.

"It's very old, very dark magic. It makes the drinker's systems slow to the brink of death while the body heals itself of other injuries. If he hadn't drank it…"

Dumbledore's eyes met Sirius's as the younger man levitated Snape.

"So he's going to be okay?"

The old man nodded, surprised to see concern etched in the Marauder's face.

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The first thing he was aware of was pain, and that, of course, meant that he was not dead. He opened his eyes, noticing the faded wallpaper of the Black house. He lifted his head up slightly, peering down at the heavy quilt on the bed. He swallowed, his throat felt dry as sandpaper. The lights were dimmed in the room, as if they knew his eyes would be sensitive. There was someone sleeping in the chair beside his bed. He craned his to see the prone form of Sirius Black, head drooped, eyes closed and breaths coming easy. He reached for the glass of water on the bedside table, only for it to crash to the floor with a loud bang.

Sirius jolted awake, his hands immediately on Snape.

"I'm alive,"

Sirius let out a sigh, a look of relief on his face. Noticing the water on the floor, he vanished it away with his wand and conjured a new glass. He wrapped his own hands around Snape's as he brought it to Snape's lips. He pulled the cup away before the teacher could gulp it all.

"The potion Voldemort gave you apparently saved your life,"

Snape closed his eyes, as if the conversation was too taxing.

"It was a test then, to see if I was loyal to him,"

Sirius crossed his arms in front of his chest and nudged Snape.

"Don't fall asleep, Dumbledore wanted you awake by the time he gets here in another ten minutes. Besides what do you mean testing you?"

Snape peeled back the quilt, his hands feeling his smooth, healed stomach muscle.

"If I wasn't loyal, I would go to St. Mungo's. But since I was loyal, he saved me with the potion"

"But he was the one who injured you in the first place!"

A cruel smirk graced Snape's features.

"Careful Black, you sound like you care"

Severus started fussing with the blankets trying to get up when Sirius's hands firmly but gently held him down.

"What you said before about the past, you're right"

Snape stopped fidgeting as Sirius pulled the quilt up to his shoulders.

"And I'm glad you're alive mate,"


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